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General Motors sets up research lab in Bangalore
Wednesday, 12 November 2003, 20:30 IST
BANGALORE: Auto giant General Motors Corporation (GM) has launched its global automotive research lab here.
Set up with an initial investment of $21 million in the IT Park at Whitefield on the outskirts of the city, the R&D lab will employ about 100 top scientists and engineers with software, electronics and material expertise.
The Indian facility will focus on providing global engineering services in computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided engineering (CAE), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM).
The $177-billion company has a similar facility at Warren in Michigan, U.S.
The R&D activities here will be complementing GM's global research programmes, taking advantage of the Indian time zone difference for cost-effective collaboration across its global sites.
"The focus of R&D projects will be in: a) math-based tools; b) lightweight materials and agile manufacturing processes; c) automotive electronics and control systems and d) manufacturing enterprise and management services," Alan Taub, the GM research and development executive director here, said.
Incidentally, GM has a technology tie-up with the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to jointly conduct research in automotive structural materials and manufacturing process.
"The lab will also enable the Indian subsidiary to join GM's global engineering network and engage the high-quality, skilled Indian engineering talent to help support its global portfolio."
As the third such largest engineering centre in the Asia-Pacific region, the other two being in Australia and China, the Bangalore lab will complement and coordinate its activities with GM's other global centres in the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
"India is one of the fast emerging markets, and it is our endeavour to grow our global engineering capability with our presence here as part of the overall expansion strategy."
GM is also outsourcing some of its major project work from Indian IT majors such as TCS, Wipro, and HCL Technologies.
Its Indian subsidiary had launched the all-new Vectra and unveiled the Chevrolet brand in the premium segment.
"As we enter the 21st century, it is important for us to tap the best talent wherever it exists. We intend to win the race in the future, and the fastest way to deliver innovation to market is to work globally," Taub asserted.
General Motors' chief scientist and director of India Science Laboratory B.G. Prakash will oversee the R&D activities at the lab.
"Our R&D work will enable GM to develop embedded software for its next generation vehicles that will be lighter in weight and fuel efficient," Prakash told the IANS.
GM's wholly owned Indian subsidiary has made a cumulative investment of $308 million in setting up its Halol facility in Gujarat over the last few years.
In phase two, the company plans to invest an additional $100 million to double its production capacity from the current 25,000 units per annum, and launch new variants of the Chevrolet/Opel models. The subsidiary also exports auto components to GM's auto plants worldwide.
Source: IANS
Source: IANS